The Steam Deck is finally under threat from a Windows gaming handheld

It's no secret that the big weakness of Windows gaming handhelds is, ironically, the operating system itself. It's this quirk that has helped the Steam Deck and its Linux-based SteamOS maintain its position as a leader in the market, but that could now be under threat from opposition that comes completely out of left field, the AOKZOE A1X.

The AOKZOE A1X is a very new handheld to the market in that it was revealed in April 2025, and is currently only available to order via Kickstarter. I have a pre-production model, however, and my early impressions are that it's finally a Windows handheld that won't be held back by its operating system. Time will tell whether the A1X goes on to be one of the best handheld gaming PCs, but it's off to a flying start in my view.